Republican strongholds left Schwarzenegger in the cold.

SFC ^ | Nov. 13, 2005 | John Wildermuth

[FairOpinion]

Voters in some of California's most reliably Republican counties deserted Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in droves Tuesday, either sitting out the special election or working actively against the governor's political agenda.

While Schwarzenegger's supporters argue that the landslide defeat was a one-time reaction to an unpopular special election, it's a result that threatens the chances of Schwarzenegger -- and other Republican candidates -- in next November's statewide elections.

In addition to independents like Anderson rejecting the governor's agenda, Schwarzenegger suffered from low turnout in Republican strongholds around the state.

The people who did turn out, Republicans as well as Democrats, consistently rejected Schwarzenegger's initiatives, even in most areas friendly to the governor. Only Orange County, alone in supporting all the governor's initiatives, and the small Gold Country counties of Sutter, Placer and El Dorado supported both Prop. 76 and Prop. 77.

[FairOpinion]

This should be a lesson for ALL Republicans everywhere for 2006. You can go and vote for the Republican candidates and keep a Republican Congress, or you can stay home and surrender to the Democrats, and let them increase their power, taking back Congress and then everyone can happily whine.

That's why I am posting this in Frontpage news, because if people don't learn from the CA elections, which was lost because conservatives stayed home or even voted with the Democrats, the same thing in 2006 will have national implications. I bet the Dems are already licking their chops on how they will parlay their win into wins in 2006.

[FairOpinion]

Here is another important point:

"Schwarzenegger's opponents didn't face the same problem. Measures on teacher tenure (Proposition 74), public employee unions (Proposition 75) and state budget reform (Proposition 76) directly threatened labor unions and education interests, while a plan to change the reapportionment process (Proposition 77) could have cost Democratic leaders as many as 10 seats in the Legislature. "

So whose side was Arnold on?!

[EagleUSA]

..because if people don't learn from the CA elections, which was lost because conservatives stayed home or even voted with the Democrats, the same thing in 2006 will have national implications.
---
Point well made. Many Repubs let Arnie down. The outcome could have been better. This was a HUGE disappointment and represented political stupidity on the part of the no-show Repubs.

[FairOpinion]

Related article, the Dem Legislature is very happy now:

California's immovable Legislature halts unstoppable governor

[NormsRevenge]

You do realize being Republican today is not the same as being conservative and never has been?

Look to Congre$$ if you need confirmation of that.

Why you continue to haunt FR pushing your tripe is beyond me. The pay must be good is about all I can figure.

[FairOpinion]

And with people unhappy with the Republican Congress, many think that staying home is the answer, which of course will result in the Dems taking back Congress.

People need to support incremental improvement, or else they are supporting the Dem destruction of CA AND the nation.

[NormsRevenge]

The people who did turn out, Republicans as well as Democrats, consistently rejected Schwarzenegger's initiatives, even in most areas friendly to the governor.

How do you speak to that. Is that a few folks at FR's fault as well?

[FairOpinion]

Why are YOU Pushing the DEM AGENDA? That IS what you are doing, since if someone follows the recommendations of you and your little group of agitators, THE RESULT IS MORE POWER TO THE DEMOCRATS AND DEFEAT OF THE CONSERVATIVE AGENDA.


This CA elecion is a prime example.

[COEXERJ145]

As usual, the "conservative purists" refused to vote because Arnold isn't conservative enough so they'll just stay home and b*tch about how bad California is.

[FairOpinion]

The full title, which I couldn't post, because of space limitation:

"Republican strongholds left Schwarzenegger in the cold Past allies were no-shows at polls -- or opponents"

[tertiary01]

I'm all for a part time legislature. Let them do the budget and go home to a real job.

[MassachusettsGOP]

The more the Republicans in Congress think they have the public behind them, the more they will pander to the base. Why have the Republicans in Congress become squishey??, because the poll numbers are down. If we showed to those in Congress via California and Virginia that we are still behind the President and Conservative ideals by voting, things might have changed. But you and so many other Absent voters threw that oppurtunity out the window, and now we must wait and suffer a terrible defeat in 2006.

[FairOpinion]

""You want to know what our problem was?" said Todd Harris, a spokesman for the governor's campaign. "Just look at the turnout in places like Riverside and San Bernardino counties.''

While the statewide turnout was 43.2 percent as of Friday afternoon, it was only 36.2 percent in San Bernardino County and 37 percent in Riverside County. The turnout was a dismal 30.9 percent in Stanislaus County and 39.5 percent in San Joaquin County, even though both have Republican majorities.

"The Republican base was lethargic and demoralized by national events, as well as what was happening in California,'' said Tim Hodson, executive director of the Center for California Studies at Cal State Sacramento. "It was a tough time to energize Republican voters.''

[FairOpinion]

"As usual, the "conservative purists" refused to vote because Arnold isn't conservative enough so they'll just stay home and b*tch about how bad California is."

====

And the Dems are rolling on the floor laughing and clapping their dirty little hands in delight the way the conservative useful idiots helped the Dems win.

[Siena Dreaming]

I saw some on FR applauding the Republicans' staying home. They said it was needed to "teach Arnold a lesson".

Yeah, let's see what they think when they have to work twice as hard to get even a more moderate Republican back in after the Dems take over.

[coconutt2000]

Perfect is now the enemy of good enough.

If the hard right doesn't think someone is conservative enough, they'll hang the "good enough" or "better than a Dem" candidate out to dry.

[Republican Wildcat]

So - curbing the unions is not conservative, parental consent for abortion is not conservative, spending limits aren't conservative? Claiming such things should be supported by conservatives is "tripe"? You must have a very strange definition of conservative - but I doubt it is shared by very many on this forum.

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

LET'S NOT EAT OUR OWN, like Sean Hannity has spoken of.

Let's find ways to WIN.

We will only win by pulling together.

I wanted McClintock for Governor. But, McClintock lost to Arnold. Like the honorable man he is, McClintock PULLED for Arnold's propositions. Many of us here did too. It wasn't enough--THIS time. But we hurt the Dems financially and we have CHARACTER on our side. Now we've got to get out the vote and inform the non-voters that the face you spite without a nose is your own.

[middie]

I fail to see a problem with the Calif. election results. The entire purpose of federalism and localized issue elections on a state level is to set out proposed contoversial public policies and submit them to the democratic process. The governor did that and the public majority rejected the proposals. I fail to see either catastrophe or the brooding omnipresence of a new era. It's like one dot on a page, we need a couple of more voting dates to see if a line develops, and, if so, where it's headed. Contrary, the elections in Virgina and New Jersey are different. There the parties can treat the results as a referendum on Bush's governing and the national GOP support, or not, of specific domestic and foreign policies. Now there's a problem....